New York state briefs

Tuesday

Jul 29, 2008 at 12:01 AMJul 29, 2008 at 1:49 AM

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Staff reports

Marijuana plants seized

OSWEGO — Local law enforcement received even more assistance than they had expected from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter that was brought in to help with the hectic Harborfest weekend, when the aircraft spotted a sizable marijuana grow field in the city of Oswego Friday.

The helicopter spotted the field between East Seneca Street and State Route 104, just east of George Street on Oswego’s east side. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection staff worked with investigators from the Oswego City Police Department to uncover the grow site. Approximately 60 marijuana plants were located and seized as a result of this investigation.

There have currently been no names released, regarding who the seized plants belonged to, but the investigation into the matter is still ongoing.

Allegany County Court Judge James Euken ruled that John Gisel, 38, may remain free. Gisel’s attorney, Brian Shulman of Rochester, said he was previously released on his own recognizance by a local court judge. District Attorney Terrence M.?Parker said he had no argument with continuing Gisel’s release.

Brandon?Haugh, 30, of Geneseo, was killed Dec. 1, 2007, while hunting at about the Almond/Burns town line. Gisel, with another hunting party, allegedly shot him from about 80 yards away. He told state troopers he shot at what he believed to be a deer.

After Monday’s hearing ended, Dan Nelson, Haugh’s brother-in-law, said there has been a lot of emotion on the family’s part. Also in court for Monday’s session were Haugh’s mother, Millie; his widow, Lisa; his sister, Stephanie Nelson; and his mother-in-law, Karen Young.

Lisa Haugh said because of what happened, her mother, Karen Young, moved from Georgia to Geneseo to be with Lisa and her two children. She has a stepson, Sean, 10, and a daughter, Brianna, 2. Lisa Haugh said she lost the baby with which she was pregnant at the time of her husband’s death.

Gisel will return to Allegany County Court at 11 a.m. Sept. 15 a for a motions hearing.

Bristol’s big boom just a demo

BRISTOL — A loud boom rang out in Bristol Monday afternoon.

It was an explosion, part of the New York State Annual Summer Training Conference for Sheriffs.

Using a trailer set up on property off Route 64, the bomb squad from Monroe County showed Ontario County deputies how it would use explosives to short-circuit a car bomb.

“We’re using our own explosives to diffuse the actual explosives,” said Mark Jenis, bomb squad commander.

The device used at the training session would be set off before an armed car could reach its destination, diffusing a terrorist attack and minimizing damage and danger to civilians, he said.

Ontario County Sheriff Phil Povero called the demonstration a “great training exercise” and said that the conference itself is designed to give law enforcement agencies an idea of the technology available to them.

Jenis said that the FBI purchased all the explosives used in the demonstration. Everything else was seized equipment and did not cost the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office anything.

Citing security reasons, Jenis did not give details on the countermeasure device used in Monday afternoon’s demonstration.